Company in fire fighter pay row boasts of being ‘most successful job creation programme in SA’s history

It claims to be “the most successful job creation and skills development programme in the history of South Africa”.

But it is Kishigu Holdings’ part in the embarrassing debacle which saw South African fire fighters returning early from a deployment in Canada over a pay dispute‚ which saw them down tools at the site of a wildfire‚ is to be probed by Parliament.

The legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs “is concerned about media reports on the 301 fire fighters who were deployed…[as] part of a resource-sharing agreement with Canadian fire fighting agencies”.

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“Of concern is the alleged involvement of a company called Kishigu Holdings‚ a private company that is seen as the primary implementer of the Working on Fire Programme‚ and a major beneficiary of the $170 that was to be paid per South African fire fighter per day by the Canadian Government‚” a statement in chairperson Phillemon Mapulane’s name read.

“The committee is particularly concerned about disturbing media reports‚ which seem to suggest that the fire fighters were remunerated far less than what this company is alleged to be paid per fire fighter.

“This is disturbing given that the fire fighters are from marginalised communities and were trained in fire prevention and suppression skills to enable them to earn a living.”

On Monday‚ GroundUp reported in a fact file about the pay dispute that Kishigu Holdings “is a private company that is the primary implementer of the Working on Fire programme. Through the Working on Fire programme‚ it has hired and trained over 5000 fire fighters. It is unclear how much of a profit Kishigu makes from these deployments”.

Kishugu’s website boasts that it “provides the most effective Fire Management System in the world”.

“This is the key building block for risk mitigation and prevention of large scale fire damage‚” the company claims.

“For over a decade‚ Kishugu is internationally acknowledged as the implementer of the award-winning South African Government’s Working on Fire Programme (WoF). The WoF Programme is the most successful job creation and skills development programme in the history of South Africa.”

The fire fighters had originally made headlines – and friends –when a video clip of them singing upon arrival at the airport in Edmonton‚ Alberta went viral.

Less than a week later‚ they were again in the news when Canadian authorities were said to be upping their pay‚ lest the South Africans be seen as “slave labour”.

They downed down tools at the site of the wildfire‚ and despite a team being sent from SA to intervene‚ they were order to return and arrived home in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

There was no singing or dancing reported on their arrival.

The Department of Environmental Affairs will also be called to account‚ said the parliamentary committee’s Mapulane‚ “particularly given the negative reports generated by this episode which have the potential to dent the image of the country”.

“As the committee‚ we envisage our country playing a significant role in assisting other countries in fire prevention and suppression‚ and hence we need to do it professionally and in a dignified manner‚ befitting our excellent international image‚” Mapulane added.

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